Police Storm Dino Melaye’s Home

A combined team of mobile and regular police officers are laying a siege to the Abuja home of the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial zone, Dino Melaye, his aides have told PREMIUM TIMES.

Two aides of the senator who did not want to be named because they have no formal approval to speak on his behalf said the police officers arrived at about 1:40 p.m. at Mr Melaye’s residence in Maitama District.

Though it was unclear whether the lawmaker was inside, some reports say he was ‘trapped inside. A good number of police operatives and vehicles encircled the residence.

The siege came hours after Mr Melaye was detained at the airport and prevented from travelling on an official trip to Morocco.

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) detained Mr Melaye, apparently based on information that he was on the wanted list of the police.

But rather than take the senator into custody, the police instead reportedly distanced themselves from the arrest. Mr Melaye was subsequently allowed to walk away by the NIS officials.

The siege marked the second attempt to forcibly arrest Mr Melaye by the police. The first came in early March when officers from special anti-robbery squad laid a siege to the FCT High Court in Maitama, where he had been arraigned and granted bail on separate charges hours earlier.